All majors are welcome!
Here are some basic
facts about our wonderful program:
Our courses have no
prerequisites.
Each summer the program lasts 7
weeks and includes at least 5-7 days of faculty-guided travel that is an
integral part of one of the courses of study.
The three courses (3
credits each for a total of 9 credits) constitute a Miami Plan
Thematic Sequence. Every student must take all three courses and must complete all nine credit hours. No exceptions are possible.
There is no language
requirement. All classes are taught in English.
All students live with
host families and therefore have an inside view of the local culture.
They have the opportunity to interact with local people and learn
about everyday life in Luxembourg.
All grades and credits
transfer automatically to Miami in Oxford, Ohio; non-Miami students
should be able to easily transfer credits to their universities.
Honors Program students:
You can use your summer stipends to cover 8 of the credit hours;
you can complete a course extension and receive credit for an
Honors Non-Course or Category B experience.
University Scholars
who entered Miami in 2006 or later may earn 2 enrichment points
in Category A.
See course descriptions below. There are no prerequisites for these courses.
Our three courses are an automatic thematic sequence.
Every student must take all three courses and must complete all nine credit hours. No exceptions are possible.
Three Ohio-based Miami professors will teach courses that satisfy requirements of the Miami Plan curriculum. The program lasts seven weeks and provides nine hours of Miami credit. Classes generally meet Monday through Thursday, providing students with 3½ day weekends for travel. A one-week field trip is incorporated into the workshop as well. Several orientation sessions in Oxford, both in the fall and in the spring, provide information and advising to the students enrolled, as well as an opportunity to meet fellow students. Faculty teaching in the summer program will likely be present in at least one session. Additional orientation sessions incorporating additional travel information and tips will take place on site.
ART 288L European Art in Context (3 credit hours) This course will cover the history of European art from the Renaissance to the present day. Rather than a survey, however, each area of European art will be framed by one or two broader issues that will relate to the specific historical period or theoretical concern. Students will investigate these issues using both primary and secondary source material and through closely examining works of art in European museums, galleries, and temporary exhibitions. This course will not only acquaint students with individual works of art, but will challenge students to think about modern European art collections and what those collections can tell us about national self-interest and image. Dr. Ellen Adams.
HST 332L Age of Dictators: Europe 1914-1945 (3 credit hours) No prerequisites. It is particularly appropriate that we are studying this time period in the heart of Europe. In 1914, Europe ruled the globe through a vast network of empires. It accounted for one-quarter of the world’s population and two-thirds of its GDP. European culture and technology similarly dominated the globe. By May 1945, all of this was destroyed, and only since 1989 has the prospect of a prosperous Europe, whole and free, once more emerged. This course recounts the destruction of European global hegemony. It focuses on the great crisis of 20th century European civilization, from the outbreak of war in August 1914 to the defeat of Hitler’s Germany in May 1945. Through novels and historical monographs, explores effect of total war and mass mobilization on the industrially advanced state systems of the period, as well as social emancipation, economic disintegration, and cultural innovation brought on the great wars of the period. Attention paid to the experience of the “great powers” (Germany, the Soviet Union, Britain, and France). Dr. George Vascik.
POL 299L Modern European Political Thought: Ideas in Action (3 credit hours) Miami Plan Foundation Course MPF IIIB. World Cultures. No prerequisites. This course examines some of the most important political theorists and ideologies which have shaped modern European politics and society. Various European political traditions are examined, including liberalism, conservatism, fascism, socialism and feminism. Readings consist mostly of primary sources by political thinkers such as Locke, Rousseau, Robespierre, Marx, Mill, Mussolini and Beauvoir. Throughout the course, the goal is to understand the impact that major political thinkers have had not just on political philosophy, but also on the political practice of modern Europe. Dr. Brian Danoff.
SITE AND PROGRAM INFORMATION
Miami University John E. Dolibois European Campus (MUDEC):
Students in the Luxembourg program attend classes at the Miami University John E. Dolibois European Center (MUDEC) and are housed with host families throughout the community. MUDEC is now located in a beautiful 15th century castle (château) and is set in a spacious park, located in the center of Differdange, Luxembourg’s third largest city. With the château’s historic significance, students are able to study in and become part of a truly European environment. The château contains classrooms, a library, computer facilities, a lounge area, and laundry facilities. Luxembourg is in the heart of Europe, 30 miles from France, Germany, and Belgium. It was a charter member of the Common Market; Luxembourg City is today one of the three capitals of the European Union and a major international financial center.
Host Families
Housing is arranged through MUDEC with a local Luxembourg family. Consequently, living arrangements can vary widely. The student’s “family” may be a widow, and older couple, or a family with children. This will be a bed and breakfast situation and any additional relationship will depend on the “chemistry” between the student and the family. Usually this is accomplished by the student’s spending some of his or her free time with the host family. All families will provide a room, which may or may not be shared with other students, and continental breakfast. You may preference a roommate or roommates/housemates, though roommate requests cannot always be accommodated. Partial board will be provided through a meal plan (4 meals per week). Meals are a substantial expense for students in the Luxembourg program; plan accordingly. French or German is not necessary, but either language would be helpful. The host family will speak some combination of Luxembourgish, French, German, and English.
Transportation and Travel
Some students will be within walking distance of the château, but many will normally take a bus or train to and from classes. Most students live either in Luxembourg City or Differdange, the town where our Château is located. We recommend that students discuss the various locations with returnee students, before requesting a location. Every student will be provided with a bus & train pass--the unlimited (1 year) Jumbo Pass -- for travel within the country of Luxembourg. Long distance phone calls may be made from the post office or the château. There are many local banks at which money may be changed.
The program has been specifically designed to allow students to leave Thursday afternoon in order to travel and to explore Europe. Plan to travel (Luxembourg is small, and you will be able to travel to other countries). There will be organized field trips during the program. Most students tend to travel in small groups of two to five students who have similar interests. It should be noted, however, that this is a Miami program earning students 9 Miami credits in 7 weeks. Students need to apply themselves to their course work. Their academic obligations come first, so it may not be possible for students to travel every weekend.
A valid passport with at least SIX MONTHS FROM EXPIRATION LEFT ON IT WHEN YOU RETURN TO THE U.S. is required to study in Luxembourg. Student insurance will be covered for the students within the program fee. Should a health problem arise, the staff at the château will help decide where to go for medical attention.
PROGRAM PREREQUISITES
All students in the Luxembourg Summer Workshops are expected to represent themselves and the University in a consistently exemplary fashion, both in the classroom and in the overseas community. Accordingly, acceptance to the Luxembourg Summer Workshop is only offered to students in good academic standing and with satisfactory judicial record. Acceptance may be withdrawn if a student’s record deteriorates after enrollment, and acceptance will be withdrawn if a student goes on academic or judicial probation prior to departure. No student may participate in a Luxembourg Summer Workshop while on academic or judicial probation.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
(photo
of the campus from a hot air balloon, showing our 15th century
castle)